Memorable messages and newcomer socialization

A discursive approach to socialization focuses our attention on the way discourse organizes the individual-organizational relationship. The present study employs the concept of memorable messages as a way for exploring the discourse associated with organizational entry. Three results emerged from the data: (1) the discourse associated with the socialization of newcomers emphasizes simultaneously fitting into existing organizational patterns while developing individual abilities; (2) informal face-to-face communication is important when constructing individual-organizational relationships; and (3) there is a positive bias in the socialization discourse associated with organizational entry. Implications for future research in organizational entry from a discursive approach are highlighted. Key words: discourse, memorable messages, socialization tactics, organizational entry
MOST ORGANIZATIONAL socialization theorists and researchers agree that the entry point, or what is typically referred to as the encounter stage, is a key moment for people as they construct [...]